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🌱 Patch AM: How Syracuse students turned pie-making into a 26-year giving tradition

Coming up on the Syracuse Patch calendar: Matt McCusker

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Friday December 19th Patch AM
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Hello Syracuse! Stay connected with the latest updates from around town. Let's dive in! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How Syracuse students turned pie-making into a 26-year giving tradition
  • How a tense Richardson Avenue standoff ended without injuries
  • How will new legal aid lawyers change Syracuse City Court cases?

Also on today's calendar: NYE Bash and 1 more event.

Find out what's happening in Syracusefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did one astronaut stranded on the moon say to another? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Syracusefor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Friday: A couple of morning showers, with a high of 57 and low of 27 degrees.
  • Saturday: Cloudy and colder, temps: high: 40, low: 34.
  • Sunday: A little snow in the p.m., with a high of 36 and low of 17 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!

📰 News we're reading

1. Blessed Sacrament continues annual pie-making tradition (thecatholicsun.com) — Students at Blessed Sacrament School in Syracuse just wrapped up their 26th year of baking pumpkin pies for the Rescue Mission’s Thanksgiving meals, turning the school cafeteria into a bustling pie factory. More than 200 pies were made by pre-K through sixth graders, with help from parents, alumni, and local church leaders, as a hands-on lesson in gratitude and service.
   

2. Man Taken Into Custody After Syracuse Standoff (iheart.com) — A police standoff on Richardson Avenue in Syracuse ended Wednesday afternoon when officers safely took a 30-year-old man into custody after he barricaded himself inside a home. Syracuse police had responded to a reported domestic incident possibly involving a weapon, prompting a SWAT response and temporary road closure. The street later reopened as investigators continued looking into the reported weapon.
   

3. Hiscock Legal Aid Society to provide misdemeanor defense services in Syracuse City Court – Central New York Business Journal (cnybj.com subscription) — People facing misdemeanor or violation charges in Syracuse City Court will soon have expanded access to free legal defense, as Hiscock Legal Aid Society has secured a multi-year contract to handle these cases. The organization will hire 17 new staff, including 11 attorneys, and expects to start taking cases this spring, scaling up through fall to full capacity.
   

4. State police search for missing man who may be in Syracuse (cnycentral.com) — State police are asking for the public’s help finding 55-year-old Scott E. Brien, who told family he was traveling to Syracuse before losing contact in early November. Brien, who has blue eyes and is about 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, was reported missing by relatives. Anyone who may have seen him or knows his whereabouts is urged to call State Police in Fulton.
   

5. Student Life Committee sparks conversation on veteran FYS, GSO (dailyorange.com) — Syracuse University’s Senate is weighing a veteran-focused First Year Seminar and a mediated path forward with the Graduate Student Organization, decisions that could reshape support and representation for students in Syracuse. Senators debated whether a separate veteran FYS would truly foster belonging, while a proposed mediation process aims to repair tensions between graduate students and university leadership. Budget stability, leadership changes, and parking equity were also discussed.
   

📸 Around Syracuse

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Syracuse

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

    Friday December 19
  • Matt McCusker
    Funny Bone Comedy Club & Restaurant, 10301 Destiny USA Dr, Syracuse
    7:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events
    Saturday December 20
  • HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
    Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater , 421 Montgomery St. , Syracuse
    7:30 pm
    • Sunday December 21
  • PAT TATO & THE BAKED POTATOES ALBUM RELEASE SHOW
    Funk 'n Waffles , 307-13 S Clinton St , Syracuse
    6:00 pm
    • Wednesday December 31
  • NYE Bash
    3 Destiny USA Dr , Syracuse
    4:00 pm

📣 Syracuse Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Hello everyone!
    I just wanted people to be aware that Dollar Tree has .25 cent items with new lists coming out on Thursdays. There are different items every week… (Nextdoor Sedgwick)
  • Please share & repost to help reunite this lost dog!
    Shadow was LOST on December 17, 2025 in Syracuse, NY 13204 near tippery hill Sharing for a neighbor. For the latest information or to contact the… (Nextdoor Draper / Rosita)
  • PriceRite Marketplace posted a job opening for Price Rite - Night Crew Clerk - Full Time (PRRC) Salary Range $17.50 - $25.00/hr in Syracuse. Apply here.
  • USA Jobs posted a job opening for Machine Operator in Syracuse. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Syracuse here.

Ok Syracuse! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t think you know the gravity of this situation.
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